Convertible dump-car.



N0. 664,266; Pa tanted Dec. l8, I900.

' H. s. HAB T.

CONVERTIBLE DUMP CAB.

(Application filed Aug. 3, 1900.) (No mum.) 5 Sheets-Sheet l.

THE News PEYERS w, :Nmomuo" WASHINGTON, n. c.

No. 664,258. Patented Dec. l8, l900..

H. S. HART.

CONVERTIBLE DUMP GAR.

(Application file d Aug. 3, 1900. (No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 2. I

N l/EN TOR. H/mRrS. H

WITNESSES! vm: norms Perms co. wo'roumo" WASNKNGTON. n. c.

ffrc-r. 5.

No; 664,268. Patented Dec. l8, I900.

H. s. HART.

CONVERTIBLE DUMP CAR.

(Application filed Aug. 3, 1900.) (No Model.) 7 5 Sheets-ESheet 3.

WrrNEssEs:

TN: NORRIS PETERS m1. Pnoro-uwo" WASHINGTON. n. c.

No; 664,268. 1 Patented Dec. l8, I900.

H. s. HART. CONVERTIBLE DUMP CAR.

A umioh filed 411 3, 1900. (No Model.) 5 Shuts-Sheet 5.

MTNEss Sz JNVENTOR' I I/HRRVS/YHIYT Hw'A-r-ro RNE Y rm.- ucmms PETERS co. wowuwu, wAsummon. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY S. HART, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

CONVERTIBLE DUM P-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 664,268, dated December 1900- Application filed August 3, 1900. serial No. 25,771. (No model.)

To all whom it nutty concern:

Be it known that LHARRY S. HART, aciti zen of the United States, residing in Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Convertible Dump-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

The ordinary hopper-car is adapted to carry only two or three kinds of freight and on many railroads is sidetracked for a larger part of the time because of its lack of adaptation to the carrying of freight other than such as comes in bulk and is discharged by dumping. My object in this invention is to render such cars convertible into gondola or other flatbottomed cars, so as to adapt them to the carrying of lumber and other general freight.

The invention consists in the novel construction and features hereinafter fully explained and set forth and also illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a partial plan of my convertible car, showing it as a hopper-car. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing it as a gondola car. Fig. 3 is a partial longitudinal section of the invention, showing it as a hopper-car. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing it as a gondola. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 1.

In said drawings,A represents the side sills, and B the intermediate sills, of a car adapted to be used either as a hopper-car or as a gondola car. It is also provided with a needlebeam 0, header-beams D, end beams E, side stakes F, preferably having an ofiset, as shown, so they may be secured to the inside of the side sills, and planking G, preferably secured to the outside of said stakes flush with the outer surface of the side sills. The side planking and stakes and their arrangement relative to the side sills are such as are now commonly used in gondola cars and are shown in the patent to Eli S. Hart, No. 579,978, of April 6, 1897. The car is also provided with a longitudinal hopper, one side of which is formed of an upper movable section H and a lower immovable section H, and the other side is formed of the upper movable section J, a stationary section J, and a hinged dump-door J held closed in the usual manner by chains K and Windlass-shaft K, the latter operated by the lever K having a pawl K engaging ratchet-wheel K on the shaft. The ends of the hopper are alike, and in the construct-ion shown each consists of an upper movable section L, a second movable section L, the header D, and the lower permanent sect-ion L In Figs. 1, 3, and 5 the movable or changeable parts of the car are shown in the positions they occupy when the car is being used as a hopper-car; but when the car is converted into a gondola car these parts are moved to the positions shown in Figs. 2, at, and 6that is to say, the end sections L are raised and secured in a vertical position at the end of the car, so that they, togetherwith triangular filling-pieces M, (best shown at Figs. 3 and 7,) will form the end walls of the gondola. The movable section L is turned to a horizontal position and the projecting part of its metal back L is slipped edgewise into the recess L", as seen at Fig. 4, and the side sections H and J are lowered from their inclined or hopper positions toa horizontal position, in which they come together, so as to cover the hopper-opening completely and so as to form,together with the permanent floorsections N and the sections L at the ends of the car,a continuous and flat floor for the entire space inclosed between the side planking and the ends of the car. To adapt the movable side sections to use in both positions as well as to give them the necessary strength, I construct them with the following features: The side sections are provided on their under surfaces with transverse angle-iron ribs H and along their lower edges with angleirons H These longitudinal angle-irons H are adapted to abut against similar angleirons H", attached to the'upper edges of the immovable sections H and J and to be bolted thereto by bolts H and when the sections H and J are lowered to their floor positions the flanges of the two angle-irons H come together in abutting contact and are inserted in the slots 0 in the rests O', of which there is one on the needle-beam and one on each header, as seen at Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, thus giving the movable sections very solid support along their meeting edges at three separate points. The flanges of the irons H are preferably bolted together when in the position just described by bolts H. The end sections L are provided with angleirons L along their top edges and with other angle-irons L along their side edges, and by means of such irons L they may be bolted to the side sections H and J, and when the end sections are positioned vertically at the end of the car these same angle-irons are bolted to the filling-pieces M. The movable plank L is bolted to the metal back plate L so that the latter may serve as the means of holding it in its positions, the plate being inserted under the permanent planking N in one position, as at Fig. 4, and being bolted to the end section L in the other position, as at Fig. 3. The sides H and J when raised to form the hopper are secured to the stakes F by bolts F, and to enable the putting in and taking out of such bolts the side planks G are provided with openings F in proximity to the bolts. It will be noticed that the movable sides H and J are so proportioned relative to the width of the car that when brought together to form a floor their united widths equal the width of the car. I do not regard this as an absolutely necessary feature, but deem it a very desirable one.

My invention permits the conversion of the car from the hopper construction to the gondola construction in a short time, so that the car may be turned into a gondola car whenever desired and as readily turned back into a hopper. By the use of the invention the railroads do not need so many cars as heretofore, inasmuch as the ballast and other hopper cars which are not ordinarily in use in winter time or are used only during stated times may be converted into gondola or other flat-bottomed cars and used in the transportation of general freight during the rest of the time. It will also be understood that the invention can be used in cars made wholly or mainly of metal, and I do not wish to be limited to the metal stakes shown nor to the construction shown except in so far as the claims make the same essential.

I claim- 1. The convertible car havinga hopper, the end sections of which hopper are changeable in position to enable them to serve as end walls of the converted car, substantially as specified. 7

2. The convertible car having a hopper, the side sections of which hopper are changeable in position to enable them to serve as parts of the floor in the converted car, and the end sections of which hopper are changeable in position to enable them to serve as end walls to the converted car, substantially as specified.

3. The combination in aconvertible car, of the needle and header beams supporting the changeable side hopper-sections with said sections, substantially as specified.

4. The combination in aconvertible car of a hopper, the lower portion of which is stationarily located, and the upper portion of which is composed of movable sections changeable in position and all serving as part of the flooring and ends of the car when converted into a fiat-bottomed car, substantially as specified.

5. The combination in a convertible car, of a hopper having changeable end sections L and stationary cross-pieces M acting together to form end walls of the car when used as a flat-bottomed car, substantially as specified.

6. The combination in a convertible car, of a hopper having changeable end sections L provided with angle-irons L and stationary corner-pieces M, substantially as specified.

7. The combination in a convertible car of changeable side hopper-sections H and J, and changeable end hopper-sections L, the latter having angle-irons L serving as a means of uniting said sections when arranged together in the hopper, substantially as specified.

8. The combination in a convertible car, of changeable hopper side sections and stationary hopper side sections, both provided with angle-irons at their abutting edges, substantially as specified.

9. The combination in aconvertible car of the movable side hopper-sections, each having angle-irons along theirlongitudinaledges, of the rests 0 receiving said irons, and supporting-beams for said rests, substantially as specified.

10. In a convertible car, the combination with the side stakes F, of changeable side hop per-sections having transverse angle-iron ribs, and means for attaching said ribs to said stakes, substantially as specified.

11. The car having fixed vertical sides and a hopper, the latter being removable and adapted to form the vertical ends of the car when converted from a hopper to a fiat-hottomed car, substantially as specified.

HARRY S. HART.

Witnesses:

EDW. S. EVARTS, H. M. MUNDAY. 

